By Mark Bennett
The practice jersey still fit.
Andy Williamson smiled as he sat in a seat
inside Hulman Center, waiting for the Indiana State Sycamores'
practice to begin Wednesday afternoon. The 6-foot-5, 190-pound
guard who played for ISU from 1998-2001 has rejoined the team
to give the Sycamores another backcourt player in practices.
After ISU lost point guards Barry Welsh and
Batiste Haywood to defections during the course of the season,
Williamson offered to help out in practices.
"I was happy to help out," Williamson
said Wednesday.
Coach Royce Waltman is not sure whether Williamson
will play in games. "We really haven't discussed that yet,"
Waltman said.
Just before this season began, Williamson
also decided not to continue as a Sycamore. "I was ready
to just focus on school and graduate," he said. He'll get
his degree in business in May.
Since then, he's maintained his athletic scholarship
while working in the ISU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.
He came to ISU from Hamilton Heights High School, and played
sparingly as a freshman in 1998-99, sat out games as a redshirt
in 1999-2000 and then played in eight games last season. In 14
career appearances, Williamson scored 15 points and grabbed eight
rebounds.
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"I had no problem with Andy not playing
this year," Waltman said. "He was close to a group
of guys who were no longer in the program, and saw there wasn't
going to be much playing time in his future and decided he didn't
want to play this season."
The Sycamores have 10 players on the active
roster, as well as two players sitting out games this season
as redshirts -- Darron Evans, a freshman from Chicago, and Levi
Adams, a walk-on transfer from Terre Haute North High School
and Morehead State University.
Welsh decided to transfer just before regular-season
games began. And Haywood left the team without explanation two
weeks ago.
Williamson adds to their depth during workouts.
Conditioning may take him a few days.
"I always stay in shape and work out,"
he said. "But I haven't been playing a lot."
Waltman appreciates Williamson's offer.
"I think this is an expression of caring
for the team," Waltman said.
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